Gun sight



July 2, 1935.

A. LOWE GUN SIGHT Filed April 8, 1952 Saar-1??? 3nventor (lubregacfowe Patented July 2, 1935 PATENT OFFICE GUN SIGHT Aubrey L. Lowe, Ilion, N. Y., assignor to Remington Arms Company, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application April 8, 1932, Serial No. 603,916

2 Claims.

This invention relates to gun sights, and contemplates an improved front sight mounting, as well as a particular arrangement of different types of sights relative to each other.

Generally stated, the sights on shoulder guns, particularly rifles, are of two classes. In one of these classes, lenses are utilized for the purpose of magnifying and more clearly defining the target, these sights being ordinarily called telescope sights. The second class provides metal or other surfaces placed a substantial distance apart on the firearm, front and rear sighting surfaces being designed to be aligned with the target. There are many types of such sights and, to distinguish them from telescope sights, they are commonly called iron sights and will be so termed in this specification.

Iron sights are usually designed to be placed as close to the barrel as possible. There are two reasons for this; one is that parts projecting a considerable distance from the barrel or receiver are undesirable, owing to their tendency to engage obstructions and to be displaced and damaged thereby. The second reason is that it is obviously desirable, particularly in fine target shooting, to keep the sight line as close to the line of the bore of the barrel as possible.

Telescope sights, on the other hand, are frequently placed at a substantially greater distance from the barrel than iron sights. The necessity for this arises from the fact that the telescope tube itself is of substantial diameter, and means must be provided for attaching such a tube to the firearm. Moreover, telescope sights are usually demountable, and the spacing of the axis of the telescope from the barrel is somewhat increased by the separable fastening devices interposed between telescope and firearm.

In competitive matches, it is frequently necessary to change from a telescope sight to iron sights, or vice-versa. Certain matches are shot with telescope sights, and others with iron sights. The difference in the location of telescope and iron sights with respect to the barrel and frame of the gun is, in such cases, a distinct handicap. On match rifles the gun stock is frequently fitted with a cheek-piece for the support of the shooters head, and the stock is so designed that with the head properly positioned upon the cheek-piece the eye is in alignment with the sights, but ohviously it can be aligned with only one set of sights. If a second set of sights is at a different distance from the gun frame than the first set, in order to utilize the second set, the shooter is forced to alter his usual shooting position with undesirable effects upon his accuracy.

It is the object of the present invention to provide means for mounting iron sights in such a way that the sight line of said iron sights is substantially in alignment with the sight line of the telescope sight.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a target rifle embodying the improved sight mounting of the present invention, certain parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a perspective assembly view of the forward end of the barrel and the improved front sight mounting.

The firearm comprises a stock I which may be fitted with a cheek-piece 2, a receiver 3, a foreend 4, and a barrel 5. Upon the barrel is placed a telescope sight 5 of conventional and wellknown design, said sight being demountably supported by means of V-blocks 6 rigidly secured to the barrel and adapted for engagement by dovetail grooves in the telescope supporting members 1 and 8. When properly located on the V-blocks the telescope supporting members are held in place by means of set screws provided with knurled heads 9.

Upon the receiver is placed a conventional type of vertically adjustable sight In, the range of vertical adjustment being adequate to bring the sight surface into alignment with the axis of the telescope.

At the forward end of the barrel is located a front sight comprising the improved mounting of the present invention, which may be constructed as follows:

A V-block II is secured to the barrel. A sight base I2 is provided, which comprises a dovetail groove adapted to fit on the V-block and, when properly positioned thereon, to be held in place by a set screw l3, the point of which takes into a shallow recess M in the side of the V-block I I. The upper surface of the base I2 is provided with a transversely extending dovetail groove adapted to receive the correspondingly shaped lower portion I5 of a sight member I 6. The sight member l6 may take a variety of forms, the one which has been selected for the purpose of illustration comprising a shielding tube adapted to receive and support one end of a number of different sight surfaces, which surfaces are properly held in the tube by means of the threaded sleeve H, the outer end of which is knurled as shown at [8 for easy manipulation. The base I2 is of such dimension as to support the front sight surface at substantially the same distance from the bore of the barrel as the axis of the telescope sight. Thus an arrangement of sights is provided in which the sight line of the iron sights coincides substantially with the sight line of the telescope, and no alteration of the shooters position is necessary when changing from one set of sights to the other. Moreover, the front sight is susceptible to ready removal, permitting the gun to be transported in an ordinary case and otherwise handled, without damage to or dislocation of the sight. When desired, the sight may be replaced upon the barrel in exactly the same position from which it was removed with no special adjustment whatever.

The embodiment of the invention herein described is to be understood as illustrative only, the same being susceptible of embodiment in many other forms, all falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1 I n aafirearm in combination, a barrel ayl ploc k gecured. to said barrel, an intermediate member having a transverse channel and a longitudinal channel adapted to receive said V- block, and a front sight having a. base adapted to be received in said transverse channel.

2. A firearm comprising a barrel, spaced sight mounting blocks secured to said barrel, a front sight supporting V-block secured near the forward end of said barrel, an intermediate member having a transverse channel and a longitudinal channel adapted to receive said V-block, and a front sight having a base adapted to be received in said transverse channel.

AUBREY L. LOWE. 

